ball python

+1 to the corn snake suggestion. They aren't as hefty as a ball python but are cheaper and come in a wicked amount of colour morphs. Ball's are good snakes, but a corn may be a little easier for a beginner to own. There are some very good forums dedicated to snake and reptile keeping, look them up and you will find more info then you could ever imagine.

my 2 cents: You don't need any heat lamps if you've got the right size under tank heat mat to heat up a portion of the tank hot enough. DO NOT buy any sort of heat device that goes into the tank, the snake WILL burn itself eventually.

Don't bother getting the snake from a pet store unless they specialize in reptiles. If you can find one of them, you should be ok, otherwise look for a breeder in your area as well as local reptile expos and shows.

In regards to food, he will need mice and full grown may even take rats, if I remember correctly for the Ball. Feed frozen, avoid live. While frozen does not provide the chase, live rodents could harm or kill your snake. Frozen is much easier to store as well.

Escaping. It will probably happen at least once. Get a good, tight fitting lid, and if you get a ball, you will need something to secure the lid. You can use bricks, books anything heavy. Some lids come with locks, but my favourite is those ratcheting tie down strips that you use on cars tying down stuff. If he does get out, snakes will often go up, or towards heat source. you can lay out a feeder inside a homemade trap to get him back if you can't find him.

the most important thing is probably to do your research and get everything set up( ie heating so you can see the heat fluctuations) a little while before you get him.

good luck

When I had to rely on frozen (Fairbanks in the winter!!) mice I would place them in a zipper sandwich bag and place it to thaw in a bowl of warm water. With the prey item tawed and warm I got very good results from finicky eaters.

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Originally Posted by Dude123

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the most important thing is probably to do your research and get everything set up( ie heating so you can see the heat fluctuations) a little while before you get him.

good luck

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+1 (and more).......do your homework before you commit to a reptile.

You know this: but I do want to point out that reptiles are not pets - in the traditional cuddly sense. At best they'll tolerate handling, and some individuals from even the most docile species will not like being handled at all.

They are very interesting companions, and I'd never say you shouldn't keep them (I did). For the most part they're boring, actually. I found their mannerisms interesting, which is why they (and the lizards, frogs and tarantulas) worked for me.

Also, have a backup plan. What happens if you find you hate the reptile? If you find it's too much work (and money....they're not cheap to feed - especially if you're a student), what do you do?

Zoos are increasingly unwilling to take reptiles. Letting them go in areas where they are not found naturally is both cruel and illegal. I had friends who would buy Ball pythons in Ohio and find they were too much of a hassle to take care of, so they'd let them go free (in Ohio!!!! Think winter).

I was lucky in that when I got married, and was told (by my wife) that I couldn't keep my last surviving tarantula anymore, I knew someone who wanted to adopt her (the tarantula :)). It's not necessarily easy to find people to adopt reptiles.

I don't want to dissuade you from getting a snake if you really want one. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of potential issues.

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Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

When I had to rely on frozen (Fairbanks in the winter!!) mice I would place them in a zipper sandwich bag and place it to thaw in a bowl of warm water. With the prey item tawed and warm I got very good results from finicky eaters.

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+1 to this too, thats exactly how I do it. Store the mice in individual plastic bags and thaw them in warm water then feed outside the tank.

WOW
Thank you all very much all the information I have gotten and suggestions have been great. I have a couple web sights to research and a couple of people who are willing to answer questions via e mail. I have a lot of work and research to do and will most likely have a set up far before I have a snake. Thanks again
Nanna

Yeah ball pythons are a very good started snake for that reason. Don`t be put off because of the picky eater thing, just be prepared. Great snakes are Ball pythons, I love them :) My biggest is pushing six feet now which is huge for a Ball python. She had to have surgery for a prolapse recently so I had to do a six week course of injections after that and she was good as gold! She`s such a sweetheart...... :)

Ball Python's are excellent starter snakes very timid...if your really into it...Get a red tail boa. They are very docile not as much as a Ball, but still fun.

My family has since grown I got my ball python a couple months ago and I love her dearly just changed her from live to F/t and I have 9 baby corn snakes.

Good deal, Nanna-I had a ball python some 25 years ago, used to keep it, and a much larger boa constrictor as pets. They do tend to escape, though. As for feeding, call me morbid, but my friends and I enjoyed watching them feed on the weekly live mouse (or a big rat for the boa!). I never had an issue with one not eating, though I have heard of snakes being chewed up by their prey if it was left in the cage. Go figure. Good luck. I wish I could still have a snake or two. Would love to have a big king snake!